Rotary engine



S. WAYTO ROTARY ENGINE Dec. 20, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 16, 1964 Dec. 20, 1966 s. WAYTO 3,292,603

ROTARY ENGINE Filed Dec. 16, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I STEPHEN mm xx BY MK Ms A TTOAA/ S. WAYTO ROTARY ENGINE Dec. 20, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Dec. 16, 1964 .5 M m v NN%/T A WW 6 n H S S. WAYTO ROTARY ENGINE Dec. 20, 1966 4 Sheets-$heet 4.

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Filed Dec. 16, 1964 FIGZIZ. g

/N\/ENTOF? STEPHEN l/VAVTO Byv H/s Afro NEY United States Patent 3,292,603 ROTARY ENGINE Stephen Wayto, 300 Wayto Road, Rotterdam, N.Y. 12303 Filed Dec. 16, 1964, 59!. No. 418,847 16 Claims. (Cl. 12343) This invention relates to an improved internal combustion rotary engine and particularly to improvements in such engines which utilize to a maximum the forces and the moments of force obtainable by an improved arrangement of the operating parts so as to produce an engine of very high efficiency and of minimum size for a given power output and minimizes the requisite number of moving parts.

Rotary engines have been proposed in the past wherein a rotatable cylinder block or rotor was adopted to be mounted within a supporting stator. Generally in such engines it was proposed to transmit power to the driven shaft of the engine from pistons in cylinders formed in the rotor with a direct gear drive from suitably mounted piston driven crankshafts. In all of these engines it was necessary to provide some type of drive for rotating the rotor so that the cylinders would progressively move relative to the stator to provide for the desired intake, compression, ignition, expansion, and exhaust sequences of the combustion cycle operations which were made possible by ports and spark plugs in the stator of the engines. Various proposals have been made in order to overcome difiiculties in properly sealing and lubricating the various parts of the engine which were largely located in the rotor.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary engine with a minimum of moving parts.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved more compact and highly efiicient rotary engine having an improved cooling system.

A further object is to provide an improved rotary engine in which most of the movable parts of the engine proper are in the rotor and are lubricated by an improved lubricating system.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary engine wherein the drive for transmitting power between the engine pistons and main shaft utilizes a mounting for the crankshaft which most efficiently transmits power by an advantageous leverage.

Yet a further object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary engine having a plurality of banks of simultaneously similarly operable cylinders and pistons producing an inherently balanced system of forces, combined with an arrangement for mechanically transmitting power from the engine pistons to a main shaft at one end of the engine and utilizing another drive at the opposite end of the engine to provide the desired timing for progressively positioning the rotor relative to the stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved rotary engine wherein a bank of cylinders is arranged in planar alignment transversely of the rotor, with an ignition system including an improved distributor for assuring independent simultaneous firing of all spark plugs in the bank for simultaneously igniting fuel in all of cylinders in the bank.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide an improved distributor for an ignition system primarily designed for substantially simultaneously, separately igniting a plurality of spark plugs.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from the following description referring to the accompanying drawings, and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims appended to and forming part of this specification.

In carrying out the present invention, a rotary engine is provided with a stator having a cylindrical bore in which a cylindrical rotor is rotatably mounted. This rotor forms the cylinder block of the engine with a plurality of cylinders therein, preferably extending obliquely relative to radii of the rotor. In most instances it will'be found desirable to provide a plurality of banks of cylinders in the rotor, with the cylinders of each bank circumferentially evenly spaced and extending in planar alignrnent transversely of the rotor and with corresponding cylinders in all banks aligned longitudinally of the rotor. The stator is provided with a plurality of intakes, exhausts, and ignition spark plugs corresponding in number to the numbers of cylinders and circumferentially spaced for 'each bank of cylinders to provide for the substantially simultaneous intake, substantially simultaneous exhaust, and substantially simultaneous ignition of fuel in all cylinders of each respective bank. The combustion cycle sequence of operations is made possible by a timing drive which rotates the rotor within the stator bore and presents the cylinders to the intakes, ignition plugs and exhausts in a predetermined timed relation coordinated with the positions of the pistons in the rotor cylinders. This timing drive is independent of the power transmission drive from the pistons to the main shaft and is arranged on the opposite end of the rotor therefrom. This arrangeme'nt has the added advantage of facilitating independent ad ustments and repairs when needed.

The ignition system for such an engine requires a novel type of ignition system in order to assure ignition in all cylinders as desired. This system includes a distributor constructed to provide for independent energiz ation of all spark plugs of each bank of cylinders.

In order to obtain an improved balanced source of power, the operating sequence of combustion cycle operations in adjacent banks of cylinders is preferably consecutively half an operating cycle apart. This sequence also provides for a most economical use of the distributor and its auxiliary circuitry, in that for each two adjacent banks of cylinders only one set of the major elements of a distributor need be provided. The only requirement is an additional set terminal connections for cooperation with the distributor arms be arranged in alternately circumferentially equally spaced relation for the spark plugs of the adjacent banks of cylinders. This provides for a maximum utilization of the distributor, with a maximum time between ignition discharges which assures adequate time for the buildup of the voltage in the coils and for adequately charging the condensers of the system to assure continuous firing at all speeds and a minimum possibility of misfiring due to inadequate voltage on the spark plugs.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view partly in section taken along line 1-1 of FIG. 3 of a rotary engine incorporating an embodiment of the present invention and showing details of the mounting arrangement and the various interconnected drives of the system;

FIG. 2 is an end elevational view, on a smaller scale, of the rotary engine shown in FIG. 1, illustrating the mounting of the carburetor, intake manifold, and distributor on the engine;

FIG. 3 is an end view of the rotary engine shown in FIG. I viewed from the right hand end as seen in FIG. 1 and partially broken away to illustrate structural details;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along line 44 of FIG. 1, illustrating details of the timing gear of the engine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an end view on a reduced scale, taken along line 55 of FIG. 1, illustrating details of the cooling fin and oil drainage details of the end plate of the engine away from the fan;

FIG. 6 illustrates a modification of thefan end of the engine as shown in FIG. 1, illustrating a different type ventilating fan and distributor drive;

FIG. 7 is a sectional, fragmentary view illustrating another embodiment of the seals for an engine of the type shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a removable port member provided with the sealing structure shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the rotor shown in FIG. 1, with the pistons and associated drives removed, illustrating details of the seals around the cylinders of this embodiment of the engine;

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view of a modification of the stator and piston of an engine of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 illustrating a variation of the combustion chamber;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged view of the distributor shown in FIG. 2, partially broken away to show structural details thereof; and

FIG. 12 is a schematic illustration of the ignition system for an engine of the type shown in FIGS. l-lO, utilizing a distributor such as that shown in FIG. 11, and being shown as connected to only one spark plug for illustrative purposes.

Referring to the drawings, an improved rotary engine incorporating an embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-5, 11 and 12. In this construction, the rotary engine is provided with a substantially cylindrical stator 10 which is formed with a substantially cylindrical central bore 11. This stator preferably is formed of a light weight material such as aluminum, and, if desired, a thin wear-resisting liner (not shown) of steel or other suitable material can be inserted in the stator and form the inner working surface of the stator bore.

In this type of engine, the cylinder block is formed as a rotatable part of the engine, and, in the illustrated embodiment, incorporates most of the movable engine parts. This cylinder block is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 as comprising an integral part of va rotor 12, which is rotatably mounted in the stator bore 11. As is more clearly seen in FIG. 2, the engine is provided with a main shaft 13 which is rotatably supported in any suitable manner, as by ball bearings 14 and 15 mounted in stator endplates 15 and 17, respectively. These endplates form part of the rigid stator structure and are suitably demountably secured to the cylindrical stator 10, asby bolts 18. The rotor 12 is freely rotatably mounted within the stator 10.by being suitably rotatably supported on the main shaft 13 through suitable end frames and bearings. In this embodiment of the rotor, the end frames comprise spiders 19 and 20 which are rigidly secured at the outer periphery thereof to the rotor 12 and rotatably support the rotor on the main shaft 13 by suitable bearings, such as ball bearings 21 and 22, respectively.

As is more clearly shown in FIG. 3, the rotor is provided with a plurality of circumferentiallyv evenly spaced cylinders 23, preferably integral therewith, which are open to the exterior of the rotor, as well as at the interior ends thereof. In order advantageously to utilize to a maximum the forces and the moments of force obtainable in a rotary engine and in order to utilize to a maximum the available working space within the rotor and to minimize the size of the engine for a given power output, the cylin-.

ders 23 are formed and arranged to extend obliquely relative to radii of the rotor.

According to the present invention, a plurality of cylinders 23 are arranged aligned in a plane perpendicular to a main shaft 13, with a piston 24 slidably mounted in each of the cylinders. These pistons are adapted to function within the cylinders 23 in accordance with the conventional internal combustion 4-cycle sequences of operation; that is, the pistons 24 are adapted to have an intake stroke within the cylinders 23 during which a suitable fuel mixture is drawn into the cylinders 23 as the pistons 24 move from the outer dead center positions thereof to the inner dead center positions, followed by a compression stroke during which the fuel mixture which has been drawn into the cylinders 23 is compressed by the outward movement of the pistons 24 from the inner dead center positions thereof toward the outer dead center positions thereof, after which the compressed fuel mixture is ignited by a suitable ignition device which produces an expansion of the material within the cylinders and cause the pistons to be moved from the outer dead center positions during an expansion stroke thereof, which is followed by an exhaust stroke of the pistons to complete the combustion cycle by movement of the pise tons during this final stroke from the inner dead center positions thereof to the outer dead center positions thereof during which the burned fuel is exhausted through suitable exhaust ports 33, after which this combustion cycle is sequentially repeated. In conventional internal combustion engines, various valves and valve operating mechanisms are required in order to provide for the intake of the fuel mixture, the closing of the combustion chamber for the compressing and expansion strokes, and to,

provide for a final reopening of the combustion chamber to allow for the exhaust of the burned fuel. These mechanisms require very precise machined parts and operating mechanisms which must be delicately adjusted to obtain an efiicient operation of a conventional engine. In contrast, an engine incorporating the present invention eliminates all of these operating parts, thereby providing a much more reliable and rugged structure.

The present rotary engine also is constructed so as to provide for a highly balanced mechanical and combustion cycle of operation by the relative physical arrangement of the power generating parts and the drives connected to the crank shafts of the engine. In thus carrying out the power generating structure arrangement, the cylinders 23 are equally circumferentially spaced in the rotor 12 and the spiders 19 and 20 preferably are formed with a number of supporting legs equal to the number of cylinders and also equally circumferentially spaced from each other. As is more clearly shown in FIG. 3, the legs of the spider 19 are spaced angularly from the cylinders 23 and are adapted rotatably to support crankshafts 25 by suitable bearings, such as ball bearings 25 and 25". Mechanical power is transmitted from the pistons 24 through Wrist pins 26 and suitable connecting rods 27 to the crankshafts 25 through cranks 28 which mechanically connect the other ends of the connecting rods 27 t0 the crankshafts 25. The legs of the spider 19 are angularly positioned relative to the cylinders 23 suchv that the axes of the wrist pins 26, the crankshafts 25,

and the cranks'28 lie in a common plane whenever 'a the direct expansion pressure on a piston 24 is transmitted through its connecting rod 27 to turn its associated crankshaft 25 to transmit the power so developed to the main.

shaft 13 through the connecting gearing. The oblique arrangement of the cylinders and the radial displacement of the crankshafts also provides an advantageous leverage system, such that the bearing pressures-on the crankshaft bearings, transmitted thereto from piston connecting rods, tend to set up moments of force to turn the rotor 12 in its desired direction of rotation. This further increases the efficiency of the present engine as these forces aid in turning the drive gear and are thus transmitted to the main shaft 13.

FIG. 3 shows, in solid lines, the pistons and their mechanical connections to the crackshafts when the pistons are in their inner dead center positions. The dotted line for the end of the piston 24, shown in the part of FIG. 3 which is broken away, indicates the outer dead center position of this piston 24. Suitable gears mechanically transmit power between the crankshafts 25 and the main shaft 13. In the illustrated construction, these gears include spur gears 29 drivingly connected to the crankshaft 25 and drivingly meshed with a main shaft spur gear 30. The main shaft spur gear 30 is drivingly secured to the main shaft in any suitable manner, as by a key 31 which engages keyways in the gear 30 and in the main shaft 13, and the crankshaft spur gears 29 are drivingly connected in any suitable manner to the crankshafts 25, as by keys 32 arranged in driving engagement with keyways in the crankshafts 25 and spur gears 29.

As has been explained, power is generated by the present engine in the same general manner as by any conventional 4-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, but, since no valves are utilized for controlling the intake and exhaust of the cylinders, it is necessary to provide for a predetermined opening and closing of the cylinders to intake and exhaust ports. This control of the opening and closing of the cylinders to the various ports is obtained by positioning the rotor 12 in predetermined timed relations to ports formed in the stator 10. This positioning is provided for by a timing mechanism which is conveniently operable by the crankshafts 25, as that the position of the rotor relative to the stator bears a definite timed relationship to the positions of the crankshafts 25. As best is seen in FIG. 3, an intake in the form of a port 33 extends through the stator and is adapted to be supplied with a suitable combustion fuel mixture by a fuel supply manifold 34 which communicates with the intake port 33. Any suitable carburetor 35, FIG. 2, may be used to provide and control the fuel mixture which is supplied to the intake through the manifold 34.

A very efficient utilization of space and a well balanced torque can be developed by the present type engine by the use of three cylinders 23 spaced 120 apart, although the present invention is not limited to three cylinders in a bank. All three cylinders in a transverse plane of cylinders form a bank adapted to operate simultaneously as all three associated pistons simultaneously carry out the usual sequence of combustion cycle operations. In order to obtain this type of operation, three intakes are provided spaced 120 apart, such that all three cylinders receive fuel simultaneously as the leading edge of the cylinders 23 uncover the intake ports 33.

The rotor 12 is adapted to be rotated clockwise as viewed in FIG. 3, indicated on an arrow 12', and the intake function is begun as the leading edge of the cylinders 23 uncover the intake ports 33 with the pistons 24 substantially on their outer dead center. As the rotor 12 turns clockwise, the crankshafts 25 likewise turn clockwise and exert an inward pull on the connecting rods 27, thereby drawing the pistons 24 inwardly. This continues until the pistons reach their inner dead center positions. This is the position of the rotor and all of its operating parts as shown in solid lines in FIG. 3.

Continued clockwise rotation of the rotor 12 results in a further rotation of the crankshaft spur gears 29 in a clockwise direction, which causes the connecting rods 27 to move outwardly, whereby the pistons 24 are forced toward their outer dead center positions, indicated by a dotted line in the broken away cylinder in FIG. 3.

This movement of the pistons 24 to their outer dead center positions begins as the cylinders move from the position just out of communication with the intake ports 33 and compresses the fuel mixture in the cylinders 23. When the pistons thus reach their outer dead center positions, the compression stroke of the pistons has been completed and it is desirable to have the compressed fuel mixture in the cylinder ignited. Preferably such ignition should begin just as the pistons 24 pass through the outer dead center positions, so that as the fuel begins to burn and expand, the force created by the burning fuel is exerted against the pistons 24 to move them toward their inner dead center positions. Suitable spark plugs 36 are provided to ignite the compressed fuel at these positions of the pistons.

Since all of the cylinders in the transverse plane of cylinders are adapted to be ignited substantially simultaneously, it is necessary that the spark plugs 36 be independently supplied with a suitable break-down or sparking voltage, otherwise the slightest difference in the spacing of the spark plug electrodes or of carbon or other deposits which might vary the dielectric resistance between the spark plug electrodes, would result in the break-down or sparking of one of the spark plugs before the others. This would produce a complete discharge of the coil and condenser through this one spark plug and a misfire of the other plugs.

In order to assure ignition in all of the cylinders, the present improved rotary engine incorporates an improved ignition system which is schematically illustrated in FIG. 12. An important part of this system comprises an improved ignition distributor for independently supplying a firing voltage to each plug. FIG. 11 illustrates the physical aspects of such a distributor, and its electrical connections in the ignition system can be more clearly understood by reference to FIG. 12.

In order to obtain the desired sparking voltage at the desired time the distributor is provided with a drive shaft 37 which is driven through'a suitable gear, such as helical gear 38, from the main shaft 13 of the engine in any suitable manner, as by a worm on the endof the main shaft 13 opposite the power drive gear 30. The distributor shaft gear drive in the illustrated embodiment provides a 2 to 1 ratio to obtain the desired ignition timing as will be explained later. Since the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a bank of three cylinders in a transverse plane all of which are adapted to be ignited simultaneously, the ignition system is provided with three separate induction coils 39 adapted to be energized by a battery 40 on the closure of an ignition switch 41.

The independence of each ignition coil circuit is maintained by a separate distribution circuit for each of the coils 39. This distribution circuit includes an arrangement for supplying the ignition voltage from each coil 39 to an independently separate distributor arm for independently energizing each of the three spark plugs 36 for the three cylinders in a transverse engine bank of cylinders. The distributor is adapted to have a central insulating support 42 which is mounted on and adapted to be driven by the distributor shaft 37. This support 42 is provided with three insulating supporting arms 43 circu-mferentially spaced 120 apart. Each arm is provided with a distributor arm electrode 44, of suitable conducting material, which extends outwardly therefrom, and each of the electrodes is supplied with the desired energization from a separate one of the coils 39. As is more clearly seen in FIG. 12, one of the electrodes 44 is electrically connected through spring finger 45 to a conventional center contact brush 46. The other two distributor arm electrodes 44 are energized through spring fingers 47 and 48 arranged in an electrical contact with slip rings 49 and 50 respectively, which are insulated from each other and mounted on a suitable insulating mounting plate 51. The mounting plate 51 is rigidly secured to the distributor housing 52 spaced axially from the distributor arms 43, and electrical connections are made between the slip rings 49 and 5t and two coils 39 in any suitable manner, as by terminals 53 on opposite sides of the mounting plate 51, which terminals 53 are individually each connected to a different one of the slip rings. The terminals 53 are respectively connected by conductors 54 to the high voltage terminals 55 of two of the coils 39, and suitable bushings 56 also preferably extend through the distributor cap 57 and provide a suitable support for the ends of the conductors 54 which are connected to the terminals 53 in the distributor. The other brush 46 is connected by a suitable conductor 58 7 to the high voltage terminal 59 of the third coil 39, so that each of the distributor arm electrodes 44 is connected to a separate high voltage terminal of a separate coil 39.

Each coil 39 is connected to the battery 40 through a separate set of breaker points 60, which are adapted to be operated in timed relationship to the operating positions of the engine pistons so as to provide a desired high voltage to the distributor arm electrodes 44 by the coils 39 at the end of each compression stroke of the pistons. In order to fire the engine spark plugs at this time, a condenser 61 is connected across each set of breaker contacts 60 to supply the desired discharge through the primary of the coils 39 as in any conventional distributor. In order to obtain the required timing of the spark plug firing, a special gear ratio for driving the distributor shaft must be provided to compensate for the rotation of the rotor in driving the main shaft of the engine. This is readily obtained by making the ratio of the crankshaft power spur gear 29 to the main shaft power spur gear 30 a 7 to 6 ratio. This assures one revolution of the main shaft for each revolution of a crankshaft.

The main timing control in the present type rotary engine which governs the positioning of the rotor 12 to assure the proper functional relationship of the pistons and cylinders of the rotor to the intake, exhausts, and spark plugs in the rotor 10 comprises timing gears which are conveniently mounted on the opposite end of the engine from the drive gears 29 and 30. This has the advantage of facilitating adjustments and repairs of the driving gears and the timing gears independently of each other and also provides a more even weight distribution. As shown in FIG. 1, a timing spur gear 62 is mounted on the end of each crankshaft opposite the driving spur gear 29 and is drivingly connected thereto in any suitable manner, as through a key 63. Each timing gear 62 meshes with an idler gear 64 which is rotatably supported by a stub shaft 65 mounted on an arm of the rotor spider 20. In the construction illustrated in FIG. 3, the rotor is adapted to be driven as indicated by the arrow 12 in this figure. This driving of the rotor can conveniently and efficiently be obtained by mounting a stationary internal ring gear 66 on the stator 10 with which the idler gears 64 mesh. The teeth on the timing spur gear 62, the idler gear 64, and the ring gear 66 are related so as to provide the desired predetermined timed rotation of the rotor 12 relative to the stator 10, and, since the timing spur gear 62 is driven by the crankshaft 25, it is inherently maintained in timed relation to the positions of the pistons 24 in the engine cylinders. FIG. 4 illustrates details of the timing gear structure which provides the desired timed operative relationship between the rotor and stator of the engine. As shown in this figure, the ring gear 66 may be secured by a plurality of circumferentially spaced bolts 66'.

A rotary engine in accordance with the present invention could be operable with a single bank of cylinders as has been described; however, a more evenly balanced and smooth operating engine is obtained by providing a plurality of banks of cylinders, wherein the sequence of combustion cycle operations in adjacent banks of cylinders is carried out half an operating cycle apart. In the presently described embodiment of this invention, two banks of cylinders each is provided, with all of the cylinders in each bank arranged in planar alignment transversely of the rotor. The two banks of the cylinders are spaced apart axially of the rotor and corresponding cylinders in all banks are aligned longitudinally of the rotor. This provides a very evenly balanced power plant having a maximum of symmetry in construction, so that the supports for the various parts can be symmetrically arranged and a minimum number of such supports are required. Thus, the crankshafts of aligned cylinders in the two banks have the same longitudinal axis so that a single crankshaft can be provided to which the connecting rods 27 of corresponding cylinders in the two banks can be connected. The pistons in adjacent banks of cylinders also always are in the same relative positions with respect to the cylinders; although the pistons in one bank, when in the outer dead center position, will be beginning an intake stroke, while the pistons in the adjacent bank will be beginning an expansion stroke. Similarly, the pistons in one bankwhich are the inner dead center positions will be beginning a compression stroke, while the pistons in the adjacent bank in the same position will be beginning an exhaust stroke.

Thus, the spark plugs 36 for one bank of cylinders are displaced halfway between the spark plugs 36' for the adjacent bank of cylinders. In like manner, the intake ports 33 for one bank of cylinders are displaced halfway between the intake ports for the adjacent bank of cylinders, and the exhaust ports 33 for one bank of cylinders are also displaced halfway between the exhaust ports for the adjacent bank of cylinders.

In order to provide the desired half operating cycle displacement in the operating sequence in adjacent banks of cylinders, the fuel in all cylinders in one bank is ig' nited simultaneously, and in the adjacent bank of cylinders it is ignited two strokes or half an operating cycle later. This ignition is readily obtained with the improved ignition system shown in FIG. 12 wherein one set of three distributor arm electrode spark plug terminals 67, spaced apart, are connected to spark plugs 36 for one bank of cylinders and a second set of distributor spark plug electrode terminals 67', also spaced 120 apart but arranged halfway between the terminals 67,

that is 60 from adjacent terminals 67, are connected to the spark plugs 36' for the adjacent bank of cylinders. In order to obtain this type of energization of the two sets of spark plug terminals 67 and 67, it is required that the distributor arm electrodes 44 be energized with.

a suitable high voltage when the electrodes are positioned opposite the spark plug terminals. Such energization of the distributor arm electrodes is conveniently and efficiently provided by the three coils 39, and the three sets of breaker points 60, simply by properly arranging the breaker points 60 for operation at the desired timed sequence relative to the position of the pistons in the cylinders. This is readily obtained by operating the breaker points 60 by cams 68 and 69, which are mounted on the distributor shaft 37' and therefore are driven by the main shaft 13 in a predetermined relation to the operating positions of the pistons 24. Both cams 68 and 69 are formed as two-lobe cams wherein the lobes 68 and 69' respectively of the cam 68 and 69 are spaced apart, and the sets of breaker points 60 are arranged relative to each other so that all breaker points will be opened simultaneously by the cams 68 and 69. Thiscan readily be obtained as shown 'in FIG. 12 by arranging two sets of points 60 on diametrically opposite sides of the cam 68, so that these two sets of breaker points will be operated simultaneously by the two lobes 68' of the cam 68, while the third set of breaker points 60 operable by the cam 69, is arranged so that the lobes 69' operate these points simultaneously with the operation of the points 60 by the cam 68. Preferably this simultaneous operation is obtained by aligning the cams 68 and 69 so that the lobes 68' are aligned axially with the lobes 69, and correspondingly aligning the third set breaker points 60, operable by the cam 69, with one of the set of breaker points operable by the cam 68. Thus, for each revolution of the distributor shaft 37, the breaker points 60 will be operated twice, thereby providing two energizing pulses to the coils 39, which energizing pulses will occur 180 or a half operating cycle apart by a proper choice of the gearing drive for the distributor shaft 37. In this manner, a very simple ignition circuit, using a minimum of duplication of parts, is provided which furnishes the des1red independent ignition to each cylinder of each bank at the required time in the operating cycle.

A high eflicient lubricating system is provided for this engine which is basically a spray system. Any suitable lubricating oil may be stored in a suitable reservoir connected by a supply tube 70 to an oil pump 71, which is conveniently coupled by a drive shaft 72 to the distributor shaft 37. The pump 71 is adapted to provide lubricating oil under pressure through a conduit 73 to a lubricant supply duct 74 in a bearing housing 75 formed on the inner end of the end plate 17 which supports the bearing 15. The duct 74 communicates with the bearing 15 through an annular groove 76 formed in the main shaft 13 and communicates with the bearing 15 through a suitable passageway in the bearing housing. A lubricant seal 77 is secured to the bearing housing 75 on the outer side thereof to prevent outward leakage of oil along the shaft 13. A suitable radial passage 78 extends from the annular groove 76 to a substantially central distribution passageway 79 through the shaft 13 and a plurality of outwardly, substantially radial passageways 80 extends from the central passageway 79 through the shaft 13 substantially in alignment with the center of the connecting rods 27. With this construction, oil is supplied by the pump 71 to the passageways 80 from which it is sprayed over all of the working moving parts in the engine rotor and forms a lubricant mist when the engine is operating at normal speeds, so that the crankshaft bearings 25 and 25" and the main shaft bearings 21 and 22 all are properly lubricated.

Lubrication of the engine is further improved by the cooling system which includes a suitable fan 81 adapted to be driven by the main shaft 13 to blow cooling air through the engine. In the construction illustrated in FIG. 1, the fan 81 is mounted directly on the main shaft 13 and is adapted to draw air through intake apertures 82 in the end of the fan housing 83 which is mounted on the stator end plate 17. Air which is drawn in by the fan 81 is blown through openings 84 in the stator endplate 17, so that the air passes axially through the interior of the rotor 12 and is blown over the exterior surfaces of the cylinders 23 and over the various operating parts on the engine within the rotor. This cooling air tends to carry the oil mist and spray to the opposite end of the engine, where it collects on a series of concentric cooling fins 85 formed on the inner surface of the stator endplate 16. In order to assist in the passage of oil passing longitudinally through the rotor, a plurality of inwardly extending risers 86 are formed on the inner surface of the rotor 12 and extend from one end of the rotor to another, preferably obliquely at a slight angle such that rotation of the rotor will tend to cause oilwhich collects on the inner surface of the rotor to flow along these risers toward the end of the rotor away from the fan 81 toward the stator endplate 16. This oil will tend to drip or be thrown from the rotor spider and gather on the drive gears 29 and 30, thereby further lubricating the teeth of these gears. Oil which gathers on the cooling fins 85 of the stator endplate 16 will tend to flow downward and will pass through drain slots 87 in the cooling fins from which the oil will be collected and drained from the engine into a suitable conduit to be returned to the lubricant reserve for reuse in the engine.

Further cooling of the engine is provided for by a number of cooling fins 89 formed on the outer surface of the stat-or and, if desired, additional cooling fins 90 also may be formed on the outer surface of the fan housing 83.

In order to assure a maximum efficiency in an engine of the present type, the rotor 12 is made freely rotatable Within the bore 11 of the stator 10, and, as has been explained, this is obtained by suspending the rotor on the ball bearings 14 and mounted in the stator endplates 16 and 17. With such an arrangement a free running clearance is required between the outer periphery of the rotor 12 and'the inner bore 11 of the stator. Since various pressures are encountered during the combustion cycle within the cylinders 23, provision must be made to prevent 10 the leakage of the combustion gases through the clearance gap between the adjacent rotor and stator surfaces. This is especially important in an engine provided for with a plurality of banks of cylinders, such as the two tandem banks shown in FIG. 1 where the cylinder-s operate a half cycle apart.

Various types of seals can be provided to produce this desired result. FIG. 9 illustrates an improved type seal for a rotary engine incorporating the present invention, and includes an independent seal 91 extending around the periphery of each cylinder 23, with two sides of the seal 91 extending axially of the rotor and the intermediate connecting two sides extending circumferentially of the rotor surface. This provides a complete seal around each independent cylinder. The seals 91 may be made as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the seals 91, of suitable material, such as nylon, are formed with a configuration along the outer surface thereof which is substantially complementary to the inner peripheral surface of the stator bore 11, and a suitable biasing element, such as a ripple spring 92, biases the seals 91 into engagement with the stator bore. The seals 91 and the ripple spring 92 are both seated in suitable sealing grooves formed in the rotor around the cylinders In some instances it may be desirable to provide for an additional assurance against leakage of the combustion gases and this may readily be accomplished by providing av second seal 93 which surrounds the cylinder seals 91. The seals 93 may be of the same general construction as the seals 91, including axially and circumferentially extending elements and ripple biasing springs. This construction has the particular advantage of reducing the friction between the stationary and rotatable members of the engine in that the seals are the only moving parts which engage the bore surface of the stator.

Another type of improved seal for this type of rotary engine is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this construction, the rotor is formed with circumferentially extending sealing grooves 93 on each side of each bank of cylinders, and the stator 10 is provided with a liner 94 mounted on the inner bore thereof and of an axial length so that one of its end edges is in radial alignment with the outer edge of the inner rotor sealing groove 93. A circumferentially extending sealing ring 95 of suitable material, such as nylon, is mounted in the rotor sealing groove 93 and extends outwardly so as to substantially fill the space between the groove and the adjacent surface of the stator bore 11. A second liner 96 is mounted on the stator 10 so as to have an edge thereof in alignment with the adjacent edge of the rotor sealing groove 93, thus, forming a sealing groove in the stator between the liners 94 and 96 which is circumferentially aligned with the rotor sealing groove 93. The axial length of the liner 96 is made such that its outer axial edge 96' is in alignment with the inner edge of the outer sealing groove 93, and a second sealing ring 97 is seated in the outer rotor sealing groove 93 and extends freely into the space within the stator bore 11 adjacent to the liner :outer edge 96'. A retaining and closure ring 98 is mounted on the stator 10 Within the bore 11 with an edge thereof in alignment with the outer edge of the rotor sealing groove 93, so as to form a sealing ring groove in the stator between the liner edge 96' and the adjacent edge of the ring 98. This provides a peripherial sealing ring 95 on each axial side of each bank of cylinders and, since all of the cylinders in each bank are simultaneously subjected to the same combustion cycle pressures, there is no tendency for the combustion gases to leak or pass between cylinders in the same bank. This minimizes the number of seals necessary, and the pressure of the combustion gases in the gap between the stator and the rotor will be exerted against the sealing rings 95 and tend to bias these sealing rings into sealing engagement with outer surface of the rotor and stator adjacent to the sealing rings, thereby assuring a sealing pressure directly proportional to the pressure of the combustion gases.

This results in an inherently very efficient utilization of the combustion gas pressures for sealing the engine in direct proportion to leakage pressures. The cylinders of each bank are effectively sealed from cylinders in an adjacent bank by the internal intermediate sealing ring 95, so that even though the pressure in the adjacent banks of cylinders may be different, the bank in which the pressure is the highest will always bias this intermediate sealing ring 95 against the walls of the sealing grooves in direct proportion to the pressure differential, thereby providing an efficient seal against gas leakage between cylinders in adjacent banks.

With this type of seal construction it is necessary that a seal be provided around the intakes and exhausts in the stator as otherwise these would be subjected to the operating gas pressures. This can be most efliciently provided by arranging individual seals around each of 'the ports. FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate such a seal. This seal may comprise a sealing block 99 which is formedwith an outwardly 3 extending flange 100 adapted to be seated in a complementary recess in the stator 10 and to be rigidly fastened in position in any suitable manner, as by bolts 101. The sealing block 99 is formed larger than the usual port and larger than the diameter of a rotor cylinder 23, so that its inner surface is larger than the cylindrical bore of the cylinders 23. As more clearly seen in FIG. 8, the inner surface 102 of the block 99 is cylindrioally curved. This curvature is made on a radius corresponding to the cylindrical bore of the stator liners 9 4 and 96 so that the inner surface 102 forms a substantially continuous cylindrical inner surface with the liners 94 and 96.

A suitable port 103 is formed through the sealing block 99 of a size and shape desired for the intake or exhaust of the engine. The size and shape of the port 103 should be the same as is determined to be most effective to serve as the intake or exhaust of the engine in which it is being used. Since the clearance gap between the stator and the rotor will be subjected to the combustion gas pressure, it is necessary to individually seal off each of the ports to prevent leakage of the combustion gas through the ports during the time that the cylinders 23 are out of communication therewith. This sealing of the ports is provided by a suitable sealing member 104 which is arranged in a sealing groove 105 formed in the inner surface of the sealing block 99 around the port 103 and of a size larger than the diameter of the bore of the cylinder 23. This is more clearly shown in FIG. 7. Preferably the seal 104 is biased outwardly into sealing engagement with the outer periphery with the rotor 12 by suitable ripple springs 106.

Another embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in part in FIG. 6. In this construction, the stator and the cylinder pistons, and driving and timing mechanisms are the same as those of FIGS. 1-5, and may be provided with an ignition system of the type shown in FIG. 12, provided with a suitable distributor, such as that is shown in FIG. 11. Corresponding parts in this embodiment described with reference to the firstembodiment are indicated by the same reference numerals in FIG. 6. The main difference in the two engines is the cooling system. In this construction the fan 81 is mounted on a countershaft 110 which is supported by suitable bearings, such as ball bearings 111 in the fan housing 83 and by a journal bearing 112 mounted in the stator endplate 17.

In this construction, the main shaft 13' of the engine is not used to drive with fan 81 and therefore is shorter than the main shaft 13 in the first disclosed embodiment. The end of the main shaft 13' adjacent to the fan 81 is supported by suitable bearings, such as ball bearings 113, which are mounted in a recess in an enlarged end of the countershaft 110. The ventilating fan 81 is driven by the countershaft 110 which is mounted directly on the rotor spider and secured thereto in any suitable manner, as by bolts 114.

With this construction it is necessary to provide for the supply of lubricant to the various bearings and to the moving engine parts through a special connection from the supply conduit 73. This supply conduit is secured to the hub of the stator endplate 17, as in the previously described construction, and communicates with a passage 115 through a journal bearing 112. This passage 115 opens into a circumferentially extending lubricant groove 116 in the outer surface of the enlarged end of the countershaft 110, and a plurality of radially extending passage-,

ways 117 extend from the groove 116 inwardly into communication with an axially extending passageway 118 which opens into the end recess in the enlarged part of the countershaft 110. Lubricant is thus supplied through these passages into the end of the recess in which the ball bearings 113 are mounted which support the end of the l The lubricant is then free to pass through and to lubricate the ball bearing 113and main shaft 13' of the engine.

then to continue through the recess in the countershaft and pass to the rotor-supporting ball bearings 15. It also enters the passageway 79' which extends axially through the main shaft 13 from which it is sprayed outwardly to provide a spray lubrication of the remaining moving parts and bearings of the engine as has been described with reference to the first embodiment of this invention.

In this embodiment, since the main shaft 13' does not extend beyond the end of the stator endplate 17, the distributor shaft 37 is driven from the countershaft 110,. which rotates at engine rotor speed. This engine rotor speed is Ms speed of the main shaft 13', and, therethe engine power generating and drives may be the same as those of the previously described embodiment of this invention.

Since it is not necessary that the main drive shaft 13' be driven at any particular speed with reference to the remainder of the engine, and particularly with reference to the distributor because it is driven at the rotor speed, the crankshaft power drive gears and the main shaft gear coupled thereto need not be a 7-to-6 ratio. A direct l-to-l ratio or any other desired gear ratio maybe utilized. The sealing arrangements of FIGS. 7 and 8 or 9 may be also incorporated in their embodiment of the engine.

FIG. 10 illustrates a further modification of the present engine which may be utilized in connection with anyv of the other embodiments and is particularly directed to the structure which defines the combustion chamber of the engine. In this construction, the piston in each cylinder is formed with a main cylindrical body 120 having any suitable piston rings 121, and is adapted to be connected to a crankshaft through a connecting rod 122. This piston is adapted to operate in a cylinder 23 in a rotor in the same manner as the pistons in the other embodiments of the other invention. In contrast with the piston 24 shown 'in FIG. 3 wherein the combustion chamber is primarily in the end of the cylinder 23 between a specially formed head of the piston 24 and the stator, the piston 120 in this embodiment is provided with a piston head 123 having an outer surface which is adapted to substantially form a continuation of the outer cylindrical surface of the rotor 12 when the piston 120 is in its outer dead center position. This latter position occurs once when the compression stroke has been completed and the spark plug is energized so as to ignite the fuel and a second time when the piston has completed its exhaust stroke and is about to begin its intake stroke In order to provide space for holding the compressed fuel mixture at the end of the compression stroke, the stator 10 is formed with a combustion chamber 124 which has an inner open face area substantially equal to the outer surface of the piston head 123; that is, equal to the outer area of the outer open end of the cylinder 23. This combustion chamber is formed with a predetermined depth and has an end wall 125 on the side of a combustion chamber away from the direction of rotation of the rotor, which direction is indicated by an arrow 126. The outer wall of the combustion chamber 124, is tapered in any suitable manner from its maximum depth end 125 to a point of no depth at the further end 127 thereof. The remainder of the construction may be made in accordance with any of the foregoing embodiments of this invention, and ignition of a combustion mixture in the combustion chamber 124 is provided by a suitable ignition system for energizing a spark plug 36 as in the previously described structures.

This construction has the special advantage in that it provides a turbine type propulsion to the rotor in addition to the piston drive. This is obtained as a result of the construction of the piston head 123 and the configuration of the combustion chamber 124. As can be seen in FIG. 10, the outer wall of the combustion chamber 124 is substantially the same as the outer surface of the piston head 123, so that the forces against these two surfaces in a normally expanding gas are substantially equal and opposite. In contrast, the wall 125 of the combustion chamber 124 has no counterpart in the combustion chamber, and, therefore, the force exerted against this wall will be directly against the opposite wall of the cylinder 123, so that as soon as the piston has progressed past its outer dead center position a force is exerted on the cylinder wall of the rotor equal and opposite to the force on the combustion chamber wall 125. This provides a direct drive of the rotor in its direction of rotations as indicated by an arrow 126, independently of the drive provided by the pistons 120. Thus, the rotor has the benefit of both a direct piston drive and a turbine type drive.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, modifications thereof will occur to those skilled in the art. It is to be understood, therefore, that this invention is not to be limited to the particular arrangements and structures disclosed, and it is intended in the appended claims to cover all modifications within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said bore, a main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor arranged in a bank in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston operatively mounted in each of said cylinders, means for transmitting power between said pistons and said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator each corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, means for simultaneously igniting fuel in all cylinders in said bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related intake, ignition, and exhaust sequences of combustion cycle operations.

2. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor arranged in a bank in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders,

means for transmitting power between said pistons and said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stat-or corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, means for simultaneously igniting fuel in all cylinders in said bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations.

3. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor :arranged in a bank in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including gearing at one end of said rotor for transmitting power between said pistons and said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, means for simultaneously igniting fuel in all cylinders in said bank, timing means on the opposite end of said rotor from said power transmitting gearing and including a stationary ring gear on said stator and timing gears meshed therewith and mechanically driven by said pistons for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations.

4. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof and extending obliquely to radii of said rotor and arranged in a bank in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for tnansmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferenti-ally spaced to provide for simultaneous -intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, means for simultaneously igniting fuel in all cylinders in said bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequence of combustion cycle operations.

5. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of banks of cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof, the cylinders of each bank being circumferentially evenly spaced and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, corresponding cylinders in all banks being aligned longitudinally of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting eac-h crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced for each bank of cylinders to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in each respective bank, means for igniting fuel in all cylinders in each respective bank simultaneously and in adjacent banks consecutively half an operating cycle apart, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations.

6. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of banks of cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof, the cylinders of each bank being circumferentially evenly spaced and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced for each bank of cylinders to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in each respective bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means including spark plugs for igniting fuel in all cylinders in each respective bank simultaneously and in adjacent banks consecutively half an operating cycle apart, and a recessed combustion chamber in said stator bore corresponding to each cylinder position for fuel ignition with one of said spark plugs in each of said combustion chambers.

7. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mountedin said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of banks of cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof, the cylinders of each bank being circumferentially evenly spaced and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, corresponding cylinders in all banks being aligned longitudinally of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmit-ting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced for each bank of cylinders to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in each respective bank simultaneously and in adjacent banks consecutively half an operating cycle apart, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means including ventilating openings through one end of said stator and a fan driven by said rotor for blow ing air through said ventilating openings and said rotor for air cooling said cylinders and related members, an oil reservoir, means including an oil pump for supplying oil from said reservoir to said rotatable supporting means :and to passages through said main shaft for spray lubricatfing moving parts in said rotor, and the end of said stator opposite said fan having a series of internal circular cool- 'ing fins thereon formed with drain grooves for draining Oil to the lower P 11 Of said stator for return to said oil reservoir.

8. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of cir-' cumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in a bank aligned in a plane perpendicular to said main shaft, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means includinga crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supports timing means including a stationary ring gear on saidstator and timing gears meshed therewith and mechanically coupled to said crankshafts for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means including ventilating openings through one end of said stator and a fan on said main shaft for blowing air through said ventilating openings and said rotor for air cooling said cylinders and related members, an oil reservoir means including an oil pump for supplying oil from said reservoir to said rotatable supporting means and to passages through said main shaft for spray lubricating moving parts in said rotor and having risers extending longitudinally obliquely on the interior of said rotor between said cylinders for directing oil through said rotor away from said fan towards the opposite end of said stator, and said opposite end of said stator having a series of internal 'circular cooling fins thereon formed with drain grooves for draining oil to the lower part of said stator and to said oil reservoir.

9. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in a bank in planar aligni ment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting, each crankshaft on said rotor, means for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means for igniting fuel in all cylinders in said for periodically electrically connecting each of said dis tributor coils to a separate predetermined one of said spark plugs to provide for said respective simultaneous 11 7 ignition of fuel in all cylinders of said bank in timed relation to the operating positions of said cylinders.

10. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of banks of cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof, the cylinders of each bank being circumferentially evenly spaced and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor, means for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced -for each bank of cylinders to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in each respective bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means for igniting fuel in all cylinders in each respective =bank simultaneously and in adjacent banks consecutively half an operating cycle apart, said igniting means including a spark plug for each cylinder and a source of electrical power, a distributor for timed distribution of electrical potential to said spark plugs from said source of power, said distributor including a separate coil and set of breaker points connected thereto with a condenser across each coil and set of points for each cylinder in a bank, and means for pcriodically electrically connecting each of said distributor coils to a separate predetermined one of said spark plugs to provide for said respective simultaneous ignition of fuel in all cylinders of each respective bank in timed relation to the operating positions of said cylinders.

11. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of banks of cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof, the cylinders of each bank being circumferentially evenly spaced and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, corresponding cylinders in all banks being aligned longitudinally :of said rotor, pistons slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced for each bank of cylinders to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in each respective bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predeten mined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means for igniting fuel in all cylinders in each respective bank simultaneously and in adjacent banks consecutively half an operating cycle apart, said igniting means including a spark plug for each cylinder and a source of electrical power, a distributor for timed distribution of electrical potential to said spark plugs from said source of power, said distributor including a separate coil and set of breaker points connected thereto with a condenser across each coil and set of points for each cylinder in a bank,

cam means for substantially simultaneously operating all of said breaker points, a separate distributor arm for each coil evenly circumferentially spaced and means separately connecting each arm to a separate one of said coils, a plurality of distributor terminals corresponding to the number of spark plugs and arranged in circumferentially evenly spaced relation for cooperation with said distributor arms in completing circuits to said spark plugs, means for operating said distributor arms and cam means in timed relation to the operating position-s of said cylinders, and means for electrically connecting each of said distributor terminals to a separate predetermined one of said spark plugs to provide for said respective simultaneous ignition of fuel in all cylinders of each respective bank.

12. A rotary engine comprising a stator with .a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator 'bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in a bank aligned in a plane transversely of said main shaft, means including seals around each cylinder in the outer surface of said rotor having springs biasing said seals outwardly into sealing engagement with said stator .bore, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means including gearing for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, means for simultaneously igniting fuel in all cylinders in said bank, and timing means including a stationary ring gear on said stator and timing gears meshed therewith and mechanically coupled to said crankshafts for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations.

13. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in a bank aligned in a plane perpendicular to said main shaft, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means in cluding a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means including gearing for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a

'plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, means including seals in the stator bore surface around each of said intakes and exhausts having springs biasing said seals inwardly into sealing engagement with the outer surface of said cylindrical rotor and axially aligned pairs of sealing ring grooves extending circumferentially into the adjacent surfaces of said stator bore and said cylindrical rotor on each axial side of said cylinders with a sealing ring in each aligned pair of grooves, means for simultaneously igniting fuel in all cylinders in said bank, and timing means including a stationary ring gear on drical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably sup-' porting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plural-. ity of banks of cylinders in said rotor open to the exterior thereof, the cylinders of each bank being circumferentially evenly spaced and extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means including a crankshaft for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, means for rotatably supporting each crankshaft on said rotor radially spaced from said main shaft, means on one end of said rotor for drivingly connecting said crankshafts to said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in each respective bank, means including seals in the stator bore surface around each of said intakes and exhausts having springs biasing said seals inwardly into sealing engagement with the outer surface of said cylindrical rotor and axially aligned pairs of sealing ring grooves extending circumferentially into the adjacent surfaces of said stator bore and said cylindrical rotor on each axial side of said cylinders with a sealing ring in each aligned pair of grooves, means for igniting fuel in all cylinders in each respective bank and in adjacent banks consecutively half an operating cycle apart, timing means on the end of said rotor opposite said driving connection of said crankshafts to said main shaft for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means including ventilating openings through one end of said stator and a fan driven by said main shaft for blowing air through said ventilating openings and said rotor for air cooling said cylinders and related members, an oil reservoir, means including an oil pump for supplying oil from said reservoir to said rotatable supporting means and to passages through said main shaft for spray lubricating moving parts in said rotor, the end of said stator opposite said fan having a series of internal circular cooling fins thereon formed with drain grooves for draining oil to the lower part of said stator and to said oil reservoir.

15. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor extending obliquely relative to radii of said rotor and arranged in a bank in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders,-means for transmitting power between each of said pistons and said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor operations, means including a circumferentially extend-.

ing sealing ring on both axial sides of said bank of cylinders extending into aligned grooves in said stator and rotor for sealing against passage of gas, and means for sealing each intake and exhaust for preventing communication therebetween and said cylinders except when directly open thereto.

16. A rotary engine comprising a stator with a cylindrical bore and a cylindrical rotor rotatably mounted in said stator bore, a main shaft, means for rotatably sup-1 porting said main shaft on said stator, means for rotatably supporting said rotor on said main shaft, a plurality of circumferentially evenly spaced cylinders in said rotor arranged in a bank in planar alignment transversely of said rotor, a piston slidably mounted in each of said cylinders, means for transmitting power between said pistons and said main shaft, a plurality of fuel intakes and exhausts in said stator corresponding in number to said cylinders and circumferentially spaced to provide for simultaneous intake and simultaneous exhaust by all rotor cylinders in said bank, means for simultaneously igniting fuel in all cylinders in said bank, timing means for rotating said rotor in predetermined timed operative relation to said pistons and main shaft whereby said rotor cylinders and pistons are progressively positioned relative to said stator for the related sequences of combustion cycle operations, means including a circumferentially extending sealing ring on both axial sides of said bank of cylinders for sealing against gas passage between the cylinders and the space enclosed by said sealing ring between said stator and rotor and the engine ambient, and means for sealing each of said intakes and exhaust including a sealing ring around each for sealing engagement with the outer surface of said rotor for preventing communication between said intakes and exhausts and said cylinders except when directly open thereto.

No references cited.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

W E. BURNS Assistant Examiner. 

1. A ROTARY ENGINE COMPRISING A STATOR WITH A CYLINDRICAL BORE AND CYLINDRICAL ROTOR ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BORE, A MAIN SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EVENLY SPACED CYLINDERS IN SAID ROTOR ARRANGED IN A BANK IN PLANAR ALIGNMENT TRANSVERSELY OF SAID ROTOR, A PISTON OPERATIVELY MOUNTED IN EACH OF SAID CYLINDERS, MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING POWER BETWEEN SAID PISTONS AND SAID MAIN SHAFT, A PLURALITY OF FUEL INTAKES AND EXHAUSTS IN SAID STATOR EACH CORRESPONDING IN NUMBER TO SAID CYLINDERS AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED TO PROVIDE FOR SIMULTANEOUS INTAKE AND SIMULTANEOUS EXHAUST BY ALL ROTOR CYLINDERS IN SAID BANK, MEANS FOR SIMULTANEOUSLY IGNITING FUEL IN ALL CYLINDERS IN SAID BANK, TIMING MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROTOR IN PREDETERMINED TIMED OPERATIVE RELATION TO SAID PISTONS AND MAIN SHAFT WHEREBY SAID ROTOR CYLINDERS AND PISTONS ARE PROGRESSIVELY POSITIONED RELATIVE TO SAID STATOR FOR THE RELATED INTAKE, IGNITION, AND EXHAUST SEQUENCES OF COMBUSTION CYCLE OPERATIONS. 